“The great pleasure of this novel, aside from its depiction of Sophie coming into her own, is its celebration of reading and writers.” —Wall Street Journal

“The lucky reader of Sophie, Standing There peers at the world through Sophie's eyes, and wonders how her life shaped this view. When the answers are revealed—about her marriage, her childhood, the gaps in her understanding—we experience a kind of wholeness with her. Or at least the possibility of wholeness. I loved Sophie, and I love Meg Mason’s brain and the strange, wonderful, funny stories she gives us.” —Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello, Beautiful and Dear Edward

“Meg Mason is back with another introspective, heartfelt read.” – People

“Sophie, Standing There unfolds like a strange origami crane in reverse--so achingly tender and so brilliantly subtle that I could never put it down. The loneliness of our inner world and the quiet movement towards connection--nobody evokes it as breathtakingly as Meg Mason. And by ‘it,’ I guess I mean simply being a person. Dazzling.” —Catherine Newman, New York Times bestselling author of Wreck and Sandwich

“Sophie, Standing There is a moving examination of what it means to be alone in the world, and what it means to find connection. It is, by turns, heartbreaking, hilarious, and deeply hopeful. Meg Mason is a dazzling talent.”
—Ann Patchett, award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of Whistler and Bel Canto

“. . . a wryly observed look at life, love, and literature, perfect for book lovers.” —Good Housekeeping

“Deeply witty and hard to put down, Sophie, Standing There is a piercing, achingly human novel about the enormous courage required to step out of the wings and into your own life.” —Booklist (starred review)

“Mason’s third novel, centered on an endearingly self-doubting woman, is filled with wry insights into the backstage world of book festivals and their famous authors. It is a special treat for book lovers.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“Heartwarming, tender and so funny, Sophie, Standing There is a wonderful, bittersweet story of what it means to be truly, achingly lonely. I loved it.” —Gillian Anderson

“A funny, poignant, quirky look at the entrancing nature of a parasocial relationship. I love Meg Mason’s sharpness and humour, she is the queen of the pithy one liner that stops you in your tracks.” —Emma Gannon, author of Olive and Table for One

“Smart and heartwarming . . . [A] moving tale of a book lover’s search for her own happy ending.” —Publishers Weekly

“Truly inspired and original.” —Esther Freud, author of Love Falls and My Sister and Other Lovers

"It's raw, it's massively sad; it's hilariously funny and so epigrammatic that after writing down the novel’s pithily astute phrases, I realised I was almost writing out the whole book” —Barbara Trapido, author of Brother of the More Famous Jack

“It’s so beautifully written and Sophie’s unexquisite world is described so exquisitely. I absolutely lived and breathed Sophie. Such a tender, funny, sad, moving, complicated, painful and yet hopeful book.” —Georgia Pritchett, author of My Mess is a Bit of a Life

“Perfect for Sally Rooney and Naoise Dolan fans who revel in moments of sorrow and bliss.” —Kirkus

“Continuously witty and touching.” —The Guardian

"I feel like I know Meg Mason’s characters; they are relatable enough to be universal, but always have that edge or quirk that makes them unexpected - and completely compelling. Anyone who can make me sigh wistfully and snort with laughter in the same paragraph has my literary loyalty for life." —Jojo Moyes, New York Times bestselling author of Me Before You and The Giver of Stars

“Sophie, Standing There shows the pleasures—and perils—of dreams becoming reality; but also gives us a heroine who discovers she can, and always could, stand on her own two feet, outside the world of her imagination.” —Harper’s Bazaar UK

“Sophie, Standing There is bittersweet, its precise notes of humour and joy delivered from under a veil of persistent melancholy. Genuinely uplifting books for intelligent readers are rare, and this is one of them.” —Sydney Morning Herald

“Mason paints a vivid world, from Sophie’s glum flat to the cast of characters at the festival. Sophie, Standing There is a tribute to literature, relationships and the power of owning one’s experiences.” —BookPage

“I try to avoid reviewing books that aren’t out yet but I couldn’t help myself this time! As a big fan of Mason’s Sorrow and Bliss, this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. It delivered exactly what I was looking for from Mason: a story that explores grief and loneliness with tenderness, complexity, and humor….I highly rec this book if you’re looking for a tender, quick, life-affirming read. And no spoilers, but the ending was a delight!”—Alisha Ramos, Downtime

“Absolutely obsessed with Meg Mason’s new novel Sophie, Standing There.” —Zibby Owens

“. . .Mason captures the heartache and dark humor of all the complexity within life. It’s a beautiful piece of literary fiction, focusing on the power of human connection. What happens when people really see us for who we are? . . . [Mason gets] inside the heads of each of her characters in a way so many other authors fail to do, and you’ll start to wonder if Sophie is you at times.” —Parade

“A thrilling tale of obsession, identity and self-discovery.” —Woman’s World